• Get your Camino Frances Guidebook here.
  • For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here.
    (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation)
  • ⚠️ Emergency contact in Spain - Dial 112 and AlertCops app. More on this here.

Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Can anyone relate!

The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
A selection of Camino Jewellery
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Even though I have all I need. A couple times a month I go to REI just to look, but it doesn't work I always buy more. Last week I went to the REI Flagship store in Seattle, I could spend hours in there. I almost bought another new pair of mid-top Altras even though I don't need them
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
That little comic is so true. The only way I can justify things is knowing I just have a small amount of gear. I’m a big person. I am 6 foot two 210 pounds with size 14 shoes. That is a US size. I know if I need something it’s tough to find it on the Camino. So I’d rather spend more and get good gear then have to worry. I walk just about every year so I’ve been using the same gear every year and I figure in the long run it will save me money.
 
Even though I have all I need. A couple times a month I go to REI just to look, but it doesn't work I always buy more. Last week I went to the REI Flagship store in Seattle, I could spend hours in there. I almost bought another new pair of mid-top Altras even though I don't need them
Does the Seattle store have more to offer than their other stores? I'll be in Seattle in a couple of weeks...
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I love going in person to REI, and I'm glad the closest one is over an hour from my home...🆒

You know Santa Monica is about twenty-five minutes away. And, eventhough it’s raining I might want to see the beach. And, well, four blocks from the beach is REI.
 
Last edited:
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Lucky you! We are snowed in at the moment in Anacortes, but making road trip in a week or so down I-5 to see youngest son near Santa Monica. My early Christmas present to myself was a new Osprey Kestral 48 Liter Dragon Red backpack for my next CF when I turn 80 purchased from, where else? Ummmm hmmm.
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
I've always been a little envious of all the REI talk on the forum by those who live nearby. I'm not so lucky, but I visited a friend in Kansas City, MO and she took me to the one she frequents. I loved it and came away with a "few" things I "truly needed"!
 
Join our full-service guided tour and let us convert you into a Pampered Pilgrim!
Does the Seattle store have more to offer than their other stores? I'll be in Seattle in a couple of weeks...

Yes. It's the biggest of all the stores and carries basically everything they sell (unlike the smaller stores, which only carry a selection). Worth going to (be sure to reserve a space on the climbing wall).
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I have a Post-it note in my wallet - "You don't need any more outdoor gear. No, seriously, you DON'T"
Brother of my grandmother was a member of the Parliament. He always put a note on the table when he spoke. When asked what was on the note, he showed them : "Remember, for f.cks sake: DON'T swear!"
 
I am going to be a curmudgeon about REI, and vent a bit. :p

I posted this last year, but my curmudgeonly view hasn't changed. Periodically I will shop at REI for a specific item (the Sahara Pants and shirts are favorites), but I tend to avoid it otherwise.

Excuse me for a second. <VENT ON>

I am REI CO-OP member 25,707, and joined in 1965 at the age of 12 ... with my dad's permission and consent :). I still have that original card.

The reason for REI recommending ANYTHING has little to do with 'best practices' for climbing, biking, backpacking, hiking, or trekking as far as knowledge about the current and proven state of the art (which does not have to mean expensive, btw) in equipment and clothing and techniques.

It has to do with what they choose to stock in their stores, which -- at least for the big gear and clothing items -- is tremendously affected by negotiations and agreements with manufacturers. Like Walmart, if manufacturers wish access to REI's huge buyer base, they need to accept REI's conditions, which among other things, cuts the wholesale product costs to REI, and certifies an ability to meet inventory supply for its stores.

Today's REI is hardly recognizable to what REI was in the first 30 years of its existence, some of that time under the management of Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest. This was at a time when REI led the bleeding edge of climbing, backpacking, and hiking gear. They actually worked with cottage manufacturers and new companies who were innovating the gear and clothing at a furious pace, trying to provide lighter and more resilient gear than the normal Army surplus store stuff that was so prevalent to that point in time.

From the original Coop store lodgings to the move into the large, refurbished, multi-story warehouse which was where REI really began to take off, no one at REI ever conceived that it would become a chain retailer and turn its back on the original concepts that brought it to life.

Anyone who spent time going to that old warehouse knows what I mean when I say that these 'new' stores are seemingly sterile places, minus the soul which made going to REI more of a 'pilgrimage' than a simple shopping event.

Now, I look at an REI and it is no different, in my mind, than shopping at Amazon or Costco. In fact, most of the items at REI have such high markups, that it is usually a better bargain to shop elsewhere. Yes, yes, I know about the vaunted REI guarantee, but most of the really innovative industry equipment manufacturers will match REI in that regard. ULA is one example.

I have spent some quantity of time at ULA's shop and warehouse in Logan, Utah. The first time I was invited to visit, I came away with the same sense of feeling I used to get when visiting the early REI. During that visit, the owner was actually on the phone with a customer quickly agreeing to replace a pack sent out 6 months prior, with a different model from their backpack lineup because the customer couldn't get used to the 'feel' of the pack. When I asked about why he did it, he just grinned and told me that he had not only made a lifelong customer, but that this would bring in even more customers based on word of mouth. Plus, he said, the returned pack will be refurbished to a near new condition and be put up for sale on their discount listings.

Does REI carry ULA? Nope. Nor Gossamer Gear, or ZPacks, or Mountain Laurel Designs, or ..... REI doesn't carry the bleeding edge and innovative stuff anymore. Nor does its sales staff usually ignore what the store inventory carries when recommending gear, regardless of what exists elsewhere and regardless of the superiority of gear not available thru REI.

Does that mean that one should avoid shopping at REI? Nope. The above was simply to give background as to why REI recommendations are no longer the gold standard, and should be taken with a grain of salt. REI does have some good stuff: I like their Sahara shirts and lightweight zip-offs, for example; they are within the range of a lot of very lightweight clothing options. Although Kuhl makes a long sleeved, button up backpacking shirt that is the standard to beat, IMHO.

<VENT OFF>
 
I agree with @davebugg My relationship with REI just began about 3 years ago, when I started planning my first Camino, but in that time I've noticed less variety, at least in my local store. (which is why I asked about the flagship store in Seattle) If you want a backpack it's Osprey or Gregory, or a few models of Deuter, which is why I have purchased my backpacks online.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Have to agree with @davebugg. I also joined years ago in Seattle, when the store was truly a smelly dump. I remember being shocked when I saw the first “Flagship” store. The coop was founded as a way for outdoor enthusiasts with not too much money to pool resources and get bulk deals. Now it is like a Nordstrom.
I do believe that in general, the employees are very knowledgeable about their product lines, because they live the life.
Im not sure when they switched to a for profit take-over-the-world mentality. Probably in the late 1980’s or 1990’s.
That said I still love to go and browse all the departments.
 
Luckily for me my walking approach is minimalist which stops me buying more gear. I’m currently in the process of applying the philosophy to books and wool and fountain pens;-) For those items, the cartoon could well be true.
 
Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
Luckily for me my walking approach is minimalist which stops me buying more gear. I’m currently in the process of applying the philosophy to books and wool and fountain pens;-) For those items, the cartoon could well be true.
Especially wool and books
 
Sorry, not in Australia!
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
There are really telescopic not collasible.

They adjust to near backpack storage size to walking height.

But, when I walk I like the poles which fold into three easy parts when I wish to carry them or unfold easily when I need them.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I have so many pairs of boots, trail runners & Teva sandals that a friend calls me ‘Imelda of The Mountains’!
d34e54d4-cf67-4cf9-bc50-d9e6f3f94daf-jpeg.52086
 
I am going to be a curmudgeon about REI, and vent a bit. :p

I posted this last year, but my curmudgeonly view hasn't changed. Periodically I will shop at REI for a specific item (the Sahara Pants and shirts are favorites), but I tend to avoid it otherwise.

Excuse me for a second. <VENT ON>

I am REI CO-OP member 25,707, and joined in 1965 at the age of 12 ... with my dad's permission and consent :). I still have that original card.

The reason for REI recommending ANYTHING has little to do with 'best practices' for climbing, biking, backpacking, hiking, or trekking as far as knowledge about the current and proven state of the art (which does not have to mean expensive, btw) in equipment and clothing and techniques.

It has to do with what they choose to stock in their stores, which -- at least for the big gear and clothing items -- is tremendously affected by negotiations and agreements with manufacturers. Like Walmart, if manufacturers wish access to REI's huge buyer base, they need to accept REI's conditions, which among other things, cuts the wholesale product costs to REI, and certifies an ability to meet inventory supply for its stores.

Today's REI is hardly recognizable to what REI was in the first 30 years of its existence, some of that time under the management of Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest. This was at a time when REI led the bleeding edge of climbing, backpacking, and hiking gear. They actually worked with cottage manufacturers and new companies who were innovating the gear and clothing at a furious pace, trying to provide lighter and more resilient gear than the normal Army surplus store stuff that was so prevalent to that point in time.

From the original Coop store lodgings to the move into the large, refurbished, multi-story warehouse which was where REI really began to take off, no one at REI ever conceived that it would become a chain retailer and turn its back on the original concepts that brought it to life.

Anyone who spent time going to that old warehouse knows what I mean when I say that these 'new' stores are seemingly sterile places, minus the soul which made going to REI more of a 'pilgrimage' than a simple shopping event.

Now, I look at an REI and it is no different, in my mind, than shopping at Amazon or Costco. In fact, most of the items at REI have such high markups, that it is usually a better bargain to shop elsewhere. Yes, yes, I know about the vaunted REI guarantee, but most of the really innovative industry equipment manufacturers will match REI in that regard. ULA is one example.

I have spent some quantity of time at ULA's shop and warehouse in Logan, Utah. The first time I was invited to visit, I came away with the same sense of feeling I used to get when visiting the early REI. During that visit, the owner was actually on the phone with a customer quickly agreeing to replace a pack sent out 6 months prior, with a different model from their backpack lineup because the customer couldn't get used to the 'feel' of the pack. When I asked about why he did it, he just grinned and told me that he had not only made a lifelong customer, but that this would bring in even more customers based on word of mouth. Plus, he said, the returned pack will be refurbished to a near new condition and be put up for sale on their discount listings.

Does REI carry ULA? Nope. Nor Gossamer Gear, or ZPacks, or Mountain Laurel Designs, or ..... REI doesn't carry the bleeding edge and innovative stuff anymore. Nor does its sales staff usually ignore what the store inventory carries when recommending gear, regardless of what exists elsewhere and regardless of the superiority of gear not available thru REI.

Does that mean that one should avoid shopping at REI? Nope. The above was simply to give background as to why REI recommendations are no longer the gold standard, and should be taken with a grain of salt. REI does have some good stuff: I like their Sahara shirts and lightweight zip-offs, for example; they are within the range of a lot of very lightweight clothing options. Although Kuhl makes a long sleeved, button up backpacking shirt that is the standard to beat, IMHO.

<VENT OFF>
When i wanted to order pants from Kuhl $80. shipping ( from i think Nevada) was around $10. Lets see $10 for lightweight item sent in envelope stuffed in my mail box from hundreds of miles away. When i voiced my objection looking for free shipping i was told Kuhl has an agreement with REI not to offer free ship to keep their prices competitive. I went with Patagonia.
 
Even though I have all I need. A couple times a month I go to REI just to look, but it doesn't work I always buy more. Last week I went to the REI Flagship store in Seattle, I could spend hours in there. I almost bought another new pair of mid-top Altras even though I don't need them
If you know what size you wear in Altras- wait until July and shop on their website. Great sale- that is when we buy new!
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
When i wanted to order pants from Kuhl $80. shipping ( from i think Nevada) was around $10. Lets see $10 for lightweight item sent in envelope stuffed in my mail box from hundreds of miles away. When i voiced my objection looking for free shipping i was told Kuhl has an agreement with REI not to offer free ship to keep their prices competitive. I went with Patagonia.

Yeah... I can see that. As the manufacturer, Kuhl doesn't want to directly compete with the larger vendors they are under contract with :(. That's why it's hard to shop with a lot of wholesalers IF they also sell to the retail market. They won't discount the product and they won't cover the shipping. Not all are like that, but many are.

I have found that online retail vendors, like Backcountry, will do the free shipping with Kuhl products and often beat REI prices when I have shopped around Google. Plus, the return process is as simple as REI's as well.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
I've always been a little envious of all the REI talk on the forum by those who live nearby. I'm not so lucky, but I visited a friend in Kansas City, MO and she took me to the one she frequents. I loved it and came away with a "few" things I "truly needed"!

I am going to be a curmudgeon about REI, and vent a bit. :p

I posted this last year, but my curmudgeonly view hasn't changed. Periodically I will shop at REI for a specific item (the Sahara Pants and shirts are favorites), but I tend to avoid it otherwise.

Excuse me for a second. <VENT ON>

I am REI CO-OP member 25,707, and joined in 1965 at the age of 12 ... with my dad's permission and consent :). I still have that original card.

The reason for REI recommending ANYTHING has little to do with 'best practices' for climbing, biking, backpacking, hiking, or trekking as far as knowledge about the current and proven state of the art (which does not have to mean expensive, btw) in equipment and clothing and techniques.

It has to do with what they choose to stock in their stores, which -- at least for the big gear and clothing items -- is tremendously affected by negotiations and agreements with manufacturers. Like Walmart, if manufacturers wish access to REI's huge buyer base, they need to accept REI's conditions, which among other things, cuts the wholesale product costs to REI, and certifies an ability to meet inventory supply for its stores.

Today's REI is hardly recognizable to what REI was in the first 30 years of its existence, some of that time under the management of Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Everest. This was at a time when REI led the bleeding edge of climbing, backpacking, and hiking gear. They actually worked with cottage manufacturers and new companies who were innovating the gear and clothing at a furious pace, trying to provide lighter and more resilient gear than the normal Army surplus store stuff that was so prevalent to that point in time.

From the original Coop store lodgings to the move into the large, refurbished, multi-story warehouse which was where REI really began to take off, no one at REI ever conceived that it would become a chain retailer and turn its back on the original concepts that brought it to life.

Anyone who spent time going to that old warehouse knows what I mean when I say that these 'new' stores are seemingly sterile places, minus the soul which made going to REI more of a 'pilgrimage' than a simple shopping event.

Now, I look at an REI and it is no different, in my mind, than shopping at Amazon or Costco. In fact, most of the items at REI have such high markups, that it is usually a better bargain to shop elsewhere. Yes, yes, I know about the vaunted REI guarantee, but most of the really innovative industry equipment manufacturers will match REI in that regard. ULA is one example.

I have spent some quantity of time at ULA's shop and warehouse in Logan, Utah. The first time I was invited to visit, I came away with the same sense of feeling I used to get when visiting the early REI. During that visit, the owner was actually on the phone with a customer quickly agreeing to replace a pack sent out 6 months prior, with a different model from their backpack lineup because the customer couldn't get used to the 'feel' of the pack. When I asked about why he did it, he just grinned and told me that he had not only made a lifelong customer, but that this would bring in even more customers based on word of mouth. Plus, he said, the returned pack will be refurbished to a near new condition and be put up for sale on their discount listings.

Does REI carry ULA? Nope. Nor Gossamer Gear, or ZPacks, or Mountain Laurel Designs, or ..... REI doesn't carry the bleeding edge and innovative stuff anymore. Nor does its sales staff usually ignore what the store inventory carries when recommending gear, regardless of what exists elsewhere and regardless of the superiority of gear not available thru REI.

Does that mean that one should avoid shopping at REI? Nope. The above was simply to give background as to why REI recommendations are no longer the gold standard, and should be taken with a grain of salt. REI does have some good stuff: I like their Sahara shirts and lightweight zip-offs, for example; they are within the range of a lot of very lightweight clothing options. Although Kuhl makes a long sleeved, button up backpacking shirt that is the standard to beat, IMHO.

<VENT OFF>

So, Chris, based on what our guru @davebugg says, those of us who live in rural Illinois are actually lucky not to be near a REI store! We’ve got the forum with its recommendations, and online shopping. So though the returns may be more of a hassle, we will be fine without an REI (and Trader Joe’s, and Costco’s, and Whole Foods, but I digress.....)
 
So, Chris, based on what our guru @davebugg says, those of us who live in rural Illinois are actually lucky not to be near a REI store! We’ve got the forum with its recommendations, and online shopping. So though the returns may be more of a hassle, we will be fine without an REI (and Trader Joe’s, and Costco’s, and Whole Foods, but I digress.....)

Well, do you at least have a Sprouts and Walmart?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Transport luggage-passengers.
From airports to SJPP
Luggage from SJPP to Roncevalles
So, Chris, based on what our guru @davebugg says, those of us who live in rural Illinois are actually lucky not to be near a REI store! We’ve got the forum with its recommendations, and online shopping. So though the returns may be more of a hassle, we will be fine without an REI (and Trader Joe’s, and Costco’s, and Whole Foods, but I digress.....)
Yep, Laurie, we've had none of those stores around and we still survive and find ways to eat healthy anyway! Everything you say is true! That said, I did enjoy my "one time" visit to see what all the REI hubbub was about!
 
Walmarts, oh do we have Walmarts. 3 within in five miles of my house, and my town is under 100,000. But Sprouts... I had to google it, only to find that there is a preschool called Sprouts, and a therapy center called Sprouts, but I realize that is not what you meant!
My Kansas City, Missouri camino friend often talks sbout "Sprouts" too...food related, that is!
 
Walmarts, oh do we have Walmarts. 3 within in five miles of my house, and my town is under 100,000. But Sprouts... I had to google it, only to find that there is a preschool called Sprouts, and a therapy center called Sprouts, but I realize that is not what you meant!

Sprouts grocery store.

Great for popsicle lamb chops.

And, Paleo diet cookbooks.

Lots of Wally’s.

I have to drive twenty to thirty minutes for a Walmart. Not a single one in Los Angeles. Well, maybe the Valley has one.

Anyway, I need new poles.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
I'm a native of Seattle and I agree with davebugg 100%. I live in a little town in north Idaho now and have shopped at a nearby REI in eastern Washington and found the staff to be few and far between, and not very helpful.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-

Most read last week in this forum

When I hiked the Frances Route this happened. I was hiking in the afternoon just east of Arzua. I was reserved a bed at an albergue in Arzua, so I had already hiked all the way from San Xulien...
I am finalizing my packing list for Frances, and do not want to over pack. (I am 71) I will be starting at SJPdP on April 25th to Roncesvalles and forward. I was hoping on some advise as to...
First marker starting from Albergue Monasterio de la Magdalena in Sarria (113.460 km) Start: 2023.9.29 07:22 Arrival: 2023.9.30 13:18 walking time : 26 hours 47 minutes rest time : 3 hours 8...
A local Navarra website has posted a set of photos showing today's snowfall in the area around Roncesvalles. About 15cm of snow fell this morning surprising pilgrims on the way...
Hi! I’m a first time pilgrim. Is it possible to take a taxi from Astorga to Foncebadon? Thanks, Felicia
I have been planning to return and rejoin the path from Leon next week. ( Main route) I am wondering whether it might be better to wait until later in April to rejoin the path, my hope is to...

❓How to ask a question

How to post a new question on the Camino Forum.

Forum Rules

Forum Rules

Camino Updates on YouTube

Camino Conversations

Most downloaded Resources

This site is run by Ivar at

in Santiago de Compostela.
This site participates in the Amazon Affiliate program, designed to provide a means for Ivar to earn fees by linking to Amazon
Official Camino Passport (Credential) | 2024 Camino Guides
Back
Top